Sauber duo left empty-handed in India

28 October 2012 – Sauber drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Pérez were both left extremely disappointed after Sunday's Indian Grand Prix, with the pair unable to score a single point. Kobayashi finished 14th after a clash with Pastor Maldonado while team-mate Pérez, who started from eighth, retired following an early right-rear puncture.

"I have to say it wasn’t our weekend here," said Kobayashi. "In the race I was never alone, I always had someone in front but not enough straight line pace to overtake. This was frustrating. I was stuck behind Ricciardo and there was nothing I could do.

"The issue with Pastor Maldonado was a bit strange. He had overtaken me but then he suddenly came on my racing line again. I could not avoid contact. I think we should make sure we have a smooth weekend in Abu Dhabi and forget about this one here."

Pérez, who prematurely returned to the pit lane after 20 laps, was equally dejected:

"Today was a total disappointment," he added. "I had to pit after 14 laps because the front left tyre was blistering badly. We don’t know why this happened.

"I wanted to recover the lost positions but touched Ricciardo’s front wing when I overtook him. The rear right tyre came off the rim and damaged something at the rear of the car. So my race was over after 20 laps."

As a result of Nico Hülkenberg's eighth place finish, Sauber's advantage over Force India in the Constructors' standings has been cut to 23 points.

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